Judge Tells Government:Save Snake Salmon

PORTLAND, OR, United States (UPI) -- A federal judge in Oregon blasted the federal government this week for failing to protect endangered salmon in the Snake River.

In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge James Redden said he will not allow dams to continue operating if nothing is done to restore water flows to comply with the Endangered Species Act, the Portland Oregonian reported. He ordered the Bonneville Power Administration and federal fisheries agencies to analyze the effect the dams have on salmon and draw up a plan to help the fish.

The number of salmon in the Snake, a tributary of the Columbia, has dropped precipitously. In the past, 1.5 million salmon spawned in the river, but recent numbers are a few thousand.